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So, here we are in part two of our blog series about how to save on air conditioning this summer. We hope that part one gave you some useful information that will lead to lower energy bills this summer. Without further ado, here’s part two:

Save On Air Conditioning: Turn Up the Temperature

We know that many of our customers don’t want to turn the temperature on their thermostat up at all during the summer. We get it, you’ve got an air conditioner because you want to keep your home cool, but honestly 1 degree won’t be noticed. You may notice it a little at first but your body will adapt. In the end 1 degree can save you a few hundred dollars over the course of a season of use. Essentially, if you’re really hot turning down the temperature as low as it will go doesn’t cool you off any quicker. It simply wastes energy by making you colder than you need to be.

Most households can be comfortable with a temperature of about 78°F (although some adjustments may need to be made for older residents and small children). Keep the temperature around this setting during the daytime and turn it up about 5° or 10° when you leave the house; you may be surprised at how much you save! You can also turn it up or of at night, which was covered in part one of this blog series.

Even More Ways To Save On Air Conditioning

One of the easiest ways to save on air conditioning costs is to book an annual air conditioning maintenance appointment. This ensures that your air conditioner is operating as efficiently and properly as possible. When this is the case it runs perfectly and doesn’t have to work as hard or as long to cool your home, obviously resulting in saved energy and money.

Another way to accomplish this exact same thing is to change the filter often. A dirty filter impeded airflow, which reduces efficiency. It will also reduce the air quality in your home.

On top of all that if you notice a strange noise or sound coming for your air conditioner, or it’s just not working as well as it use to call an air conditioning technician. Getting problems fixed right away means less time running an inefficient air conditioner. It also means that you may be able to avoid a big repair when something even bigger goes wrong.

For more ways to save on air conditioning check out part one of this useful blog series.

If you’ve read enough and want to make an air conditioning maintenance or installation appointment call Novel Care Toronto today: 905-737-5016.

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Summer is just around the corner. It may not feel like it since snow seems to be on every corner these days, but it’ll come faster than you think. When the nice weather is here we all want nothing more than to soak it all up, but that also means we want our homes to be a cool refuge for us at the end of the day. Not a problem since you’ve got an air conditioner, but while you’re at it you might as well save on air conditioning this summer. It’s much easier than you think. Here are some tips.

Save On Air Conditioning: Stay Cool On Your Own

We all know at least one heat wave will barrel through Toronto and the GTA each summer, so ensure that your air conditioner is ready for it. It’s important for the health of your family. Keep yourself and your family cool and you won’t have to run your system as much to save on air conditioning. Here are some ways to keep cool:

Avoid strenuous outdoor work, and if you do need to work outside take plenty of breaks and make sure someone is there with you. They can see how the heat affects you just as well as you can feel it affecting you.

Listen to your body, and learn to take rests every now and then if needed.

Wear light clothing in light colors, as this reflects the sun’s rays, so you won’t burn up and be able to take advantage of any cool breeze.

Always drink plenty of water while your working and even when you’re not. Avoid alcohol and caffeine as it dehydrates you, which makes you hotter. This also increase your risk of passing out, heat stroke and other ailments.

Save On Air Conditioning By Giving It A Break

Your air conditioner is a machine, which means it needs a break from time to time. The alternative is that it will experience more wear and tear than it was made to handle at a time and can break down. Here are some tips to save on air conditioning simply by turning off your air conditioner.

At night, you can often turn off the AC and open up some windows. It’s simple, the sun goes down and so does the temperatures. Many people also find that the cool night air helps them sleep better.

When it’s daytime close your blinds and shades. This will keep the sun and the heat out and allow you to keep your air conditioner off for longer periods at a time.

Try to limit your usage of the oven, dryer, washing machine and other appliances that emit a lot of heat. If you can schedule your day so they get used when the temperature drops in the evening you will notice that your home will be much cooler.

If you are simply running your air conditioner because you’re at home working on a computer or reading, try going to a library. They’re air conditioned and quiet as well, so you won’t have to run your air conditioning unit all day.

Go to the local public pool for a swim instead of sitting in your air conditioned house. You’ll not only cool down, but thank yourself for the exercise.

Use fans to help distribute cool air throughout the home.

Stay tuned for more ways to save on air conditioning in part two of this useful blog series.

If you’ve read enough and want to make an air conditioning maintenance or installation appointment call Novel Care Toronto today: 905-737-5016.

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Being a homeowner isn’t easy. There are increased expenses to consider as well as added responsibility to go along with all that independence and freedom. Home maintenance is a very important thing to consider, especially as the seasons change. Some things can be managed by you directly, while others are better left to the professionals. Have a look below for 3 simple reminders as you get ready for spring and summer.

Home Maintenance Tip 1: Maintaining Yard Tools

Warmer temperatures mean you’ll be seeing your lawn again as it begins to grow. When it comes time to get out the lawnmower, you want to make sure it works. To prepare for this, head over to your shed or garage before it gets too warm out and inspect the condition of your lawnmower. You’ll want to see how sharp the blades are, and if it needs any fuel – if it’s gas powered of course.

Home Maintenance Tip 2: Water You Waiting For?

Frozen faucets aren’t always easy to spot, unless you know what to look for. Once you turn your tap back on, hold your finger over the running water. If you can completely block the flow, there is most likely some type of problem with the pipes that will need to be looked at by a professional.

While you’re inspecting the faucet, you should also take a look at your garden hose too. Obviously, you’ll want to spot and patch any small leaks, but you’ll also want to check for dry rot. This will look a bit grayish in colour and can contribute to more fungus later. If you spot dry rot, especially in a hose, you’re better off to toss it out and replace your garden hose.

Home Maintenance Tip 3: Ward Off Problems With The Right Soil

“April showers bring May flowers” but if your yard has low-lying pockets of soil, those showers can actually flood your lawn. This not only doesn’t look nice, it can also harbour a decent breeding ground for more bugs which can be downright annoying in the summer. Be sure to use compacted soil around your home or to fill any lower areas to avoid this potential problem.

While these home maintenance tips might be useful around your property, don’t forget to book any annual home maintenance you might need indoors. At Novel Care, we’ve spent over 30 years helping our clients in and around Toronto and the GTA. Our HVAC home maintenance and installations experience is second to none. In fact, if you ever need us, contact us at 905-737-5016. We’re available 24/7 to help with a wide variety of air conditioning and HVAC issues. We understand owning a home comes with a lot of responsibility, so let us make home maintenance a little easier for you this season.

You might think that there are numerous factors that affect the price of a new air conditioner, but realistically there are 3 main factors.

Efficiency (SEER rating)

Single-Stage vs. 2-Stage Cooling

Size

New Air Conditioner Efficiency (SEER)

SEER is the measurement of the efficiency of your new air conditioner, it stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The SEER ratings for any new air conditioner start at 13 and go into the 20’s. Popular air conditioners that combine affordability and energy-efficiency are typically rated between 13 and 17. These popular units are also typically single-stage air conditioners.

As it goes the higher the SEER rating the more expensive a new air conditioner usually is.

New Air Conditioner Stage Cooling

Single Stage Air Conditioner: These air conditioners function like a light. They either get switched on or off. They operate at either 100% capacity or 0%, there’s no in between.

2-Stage Air Conditioner: These air conditioners start-up running at about 2/3 of their maximum capacity and then increase to 100% only if the outdoor temperature warrants it. This ensures that the unit is operating as efficiently as possible at all times. 2-stage air conditioners typically cost about $1000 more than a single stage unit, but over time that cost can be recouped on your energy bill.

New Air Conditioner Size

When referring to the size of an air conditioner it’s not in reference to the physical size of the unit. Air conditioners are measured in tons, which indicates how much cooling capacity it has. Typically, central air conditioners increase incrementally in size by 1/2 tons. The larger the unit the more expensive it will be. To find out what size init your home or commercial space needs it’s usually best to consult with a reputable and experienced HVAC technician.

Overall, there are numerous factors that can affect the cost of your new air conditioner, but these 3 factors carry the most weight so understanding them is important. Now that you know more about the reasons for the cost of your air conditioner you can have an educated conversation with your Novel Care Toronto HVAC technician about which new air conditioner is right for you.

For more information about installing a new air conditioner or for a free estimate contact Novel Care Toronto today: 905-737-5016.

Novel Care Toronto has been installing new air conditioners in Toronto, York Region and the rest of the GTA for over 30 years.

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In case you haven’t noticed summer is here, and it came in with a blast of heat that we haven’t seen for years. With no rain in the forecast to cool things down residents in Toronto, York Region and the rest of the GTA rely on air conditioning. Ductless air conditioning is an excellent option to cool any home, office, or other space. Many people are too familiar with ductless air conditioning because they live in homes with large systems of ductwork. These homes don’t always need ductless air conditioning because the central air conditioner pushes cool air through the duct system. Ductless air conditioners have the ability to cool entire houses or just small spaces.

3 Things To Know About Ductless Air Conditioning

In case you haven’t realized it yet we think ductless air conditioners are great options for any area of the home or office. Here’s why:

Ductless Is Easy To Install: That’s right! Ductless air conditioners are incredibly easy to install. They only have 3 main components. The indoor piece called the air handler. It either hangs on the wall, the ceiling or can sit on the floor as desired. The outdoor condenser unit can also either be hung up or placed on the ground. The final piece to the puzzle are the pieces connecting the 2 components. All these wires and cables and pipes need to fed through a hole in the exterior wall in order to allow the two components to function properly. Which brings up the next point…

No Construction: It’s extremely typical to avoid any sort of construction while installing ductless air conditioning. Generally, all that needs to be done is for a hole to be drilled through an exterior wall in order to connect the two units. Aside from that they just need to be mounted and you’ll be cooling your home in no time.

Affordable: Not only are these units cheaper than central air conditioners, their installation is cheaper and they don’t require the expensive installation or modification of ductwork. Once you have a unit installed, depending on use, you’ll notice a much smaller impact on your energy bills than you would if you installed a central air conditioning unit.

Overall, there are a multitude of reasons to install ductless air conditioning. For more information contact Novel Care Toronto today: 905-737-5016.

Novel Care has been serving Toronto, York Region and the rest of the GTA for over 30 years.

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This is one of the most common questions that our Novel Care HVAC technicians are asked every spring when people need air conditioner installation services. It’s common for homeowners not to know how big their air conditioning unit should be in order to accommodate the size of their house. There are a few important things to understand prior to buying and installing an air conditioning unit that can save you lots of time and money down the road.

Use Professional Air Conditioner Installation Services

One issue that we often find when homeowners purchase a unit on their own is that they’ve purchased the largest unit possible within their budget. With some things bigger is certainly better, but when it comes to air conditioners a larger unit isn’t always the best choice. If these customers had used professional air conditioner installation services to purchase their air conditioner they would have found out that its important to match size of the unit to the size of the space its cooling.

If a unit is too big it will not run as efficiently as it could and it will constantly be turning on and shutting off which with a larger unit will cost you more than with a smaller unit. It will certainly cool down your home quicker, but it will cost you quite a bit more money on your energy bills. This is not only detrimental to your bank account balance but also to the environment as reduced energy-efficiency means more energy is used.

Evaluate Energy Efficiency

We mentioned energy-efficiency earlier and bring it up again because it’s so important for the environment and keeping your energy bills down. When it’s time to replace your air conditioner, choosing one based on energy-efficiency is easy with Energy Star ratings clearly displayed these days. Energy Star certified air conditioners will have information about their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) as well as their BTU rating. The higher the SEER rating the more energy-efficient that unit is, while the BTUs will help you evaluate the unit’s ability to properly cool your space. BTUs in air conditioners are basically a way to measure how quickly and efficiently a unit can cool your home or commercial building.

Air Conditioner Installation Services: Electrical Voltage

There are three electrical requirements to consider before buying an air conditioner:

There must be a proper electrical connection already in place for the unit otherwise an electrician or HVAC technician will have to run a new line

Voltage requirements must be satisfied

The required number of amps must be available in the electrical circuit

Overall one of the best ways to ensure that you purchase the right air conditioner for your needs and have it properly installed is to work with a certified HVAC technician for air conditioner installation services. Novel Care has been serving Toronto, York Region and the rest of the GTA for over 30 years. For more information about choosing the right air conditioner for your needs or to book a service appointment contact Novel Care today: 905-737-5016

As a homeowner or the owner of a commercial building understanding the heating and cooling needs of your space is important. While it may be many years after purchasing your building before you need to worry about it there are many options available in terms of heating and cooling. When it comes to cooling solutions one thing that shouldn’t be ignored is installing ductless air conditioners.

What are Ductless Air Conditioners?

Ductless air conditioners, also know as split air conditioners or mini-split ductless systems, have become a popular option in older and newer commercial and residential spaces. It took a while for them to catch on as many people typically consider cooling solutions when they plan major renovations, which are also much more popular these days. The more people learn about the benefits of Toronto ductless air conditioners the more they understand what a great cooling solution they really are.

Ductless air conditioners don’t require ductwork running throughout your home in order to cool various spaces. They provide zoned cooling and even heating through a network of internal units that are all connected to an external unit. External units can be assigned to multiple indoor units to create zones that can be cooled separated, whereas a central air conditioning system cools an entire home at once. These units are strategically placed throughout your home or office to ensure they evenly cool the areas they’re being used in.

The Benefits of Ductless Air Conditioners

There are numerous advantages to choosing ductless air conditioners, here are 7 great reasons why they might be the right solution for your needs.

Efficiency: The average family spends close to $1000 each year on heating and cooling, and depending on the configuration of your home switching to a ductless air conditioning system could yield an energy savings of up to 30% of their current energy consumption.

Cost Savings: Typically when efficiency is increased costs decrease. With ductless air conditioners your home or business could be using less energy year round and as a result your energy bills will naturally go down. Whether its measured on a monthly basis or annual basis it’s a significant cost savings.

Targeting: Unlike cooling solutions that rely on duct systems, ductless air conditioners allow you to target specific areas of your home or office. This is not only one reason why these units save you money, but also a great way to target and cool rooms that are typically hotter than others without freezing out the rest of the building.

Increased Control: Ductless air conditioners can basically be put anywhere that’s beneficial to the efficiency and cooling of a building. They can easily replace window units and configured to operate in zones to increase efficiency and comfort.

Also A Heating Solution: Many ductless air conditioners and mini-split systems also have built-in heat pumps, which means they also have a heating option. This helps save you even more money because you now have all the same benefits in heating a space as you do in cooling it. Targeted heating allows you to run your furnace, boiler, or baseboard heaters much less, so you aren’t heating areas that aren’t in use.

Simple Installation: Ductless air conditioners have been specifically designed to be very easy to install by professional HVAC technicians. With no ductwork or major piping, installation is very easy and won’t impact the current layout of your home with construction and ductwork.

Eco-Friendly: Ensuring that your home is as environmentally friendly as possible is not only good for your energy bills but also increases the resale value and the perceived value of your home or commercial building. Saving energy is important to people and in turn they know they will be saving money too, so installing a high-efficiency ductless air conditioning system is an attractive solution.

Ductless air conditioners are an ideal solution for both residential and commercial spaces. They help people save money, energy, the environment, and provide quiet, comforting and cool air throughout your space.

For more information about ductless air conditioners and whether they’re the right choice for your space contact Novel Care today: 905-737-5016